Our Life Experiences Are Meant To Comfort Others

Updated Mar 6, 2016

WORK IN PROGRESS:
This post is a work in progress and is subject to changes, revisions, edits and deletions.

We go through things in our lives, not for ourselves, but for others. While we live our own individual lives (there's none so wise as the experienced), the experiences of our lives are actually an act of love, meant to comfort others.

We are like parents to others. Others are like children to us - meaning, we adopt their desires as our own and seek to benefit them as we would our own children, making sure they have everything they need. Parents who see their children suffering, always want to do something to help.

As parents to others, we want to comfort them in every way possible, including making sure they never feel alone, that they never go through experiences alone. As such, when they go through experiences, we go through similar experiences with them, to be a comfort to them.

Imagine all the things you've been through, all the things you've done, all the things that have happened to you - the good, the bad, the highs, the lows, the ups, the downs, the easy, the hard, the embarrassing, the honorable, the wins, the losses etc. All your experiences are actually an act of love meant to comfort others, because as a parent to others you're basically saying, "You're going through it, I'm going through it, we're going through it together. You're not alone, I'm right here with you. Everything's going to be okay." We go through things, not for ourselves, but to be a comfort to others.

Knowing this, changes how we view the experiences of our lives. All our regrets, disappointments, embarrassing moments, traumatic events aren't actually about us, they're about others. Now we know the lengths to which we've gone to love others, to be a comfort to them. Love knows no bounds.

Everything I've been through, has been to comfort you and others. Everything you've been through, has been to comfort me and others. We're all in this together.

Nothing bad has ever happened to us, others or all of Nature. We're surrounded by love, we just have to realize it.

This doesn't mean that we can do whatever we want (intentionally harm ourselves, others or Nature, or intentionally allow ourselves to be harmed by others), not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others/animals/Nature instead of ourselves.

While our lives are our own individual experiences, the experiences of our lives aren't actually about us, they're about others. Everything we go through is meant to be a comfort to others, so no one ever feels that they're going through something alone.

Do not be afraid.
God is with us.

Copyright © 2016. Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

"Bestowal In Selfishness" And "Bestowal In Bestowal"

Updated Jan 24, 2016

WORK IN PROGRESS:
This post is a work in progress and is subject to changes, revisions, edits and deletions.

Nothing bad has ever happened to us, others or all of Nature. We're surrounded by love, we just have to realize it. (That doesn't mean we can do whatever we want, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves. There's no coercion in spirituality - a  person must come to bestowal voluntarily.)

Bestowal is bestowal is bestowal; however, there's a difference between bestowal that exists in selfishness, and bestowal that exists in bestowal.

How is it possible that we're in bestowal, given the state of affairs in the world today? Here's an explanation:

1. Being In Bestowal While Immersed In Selfishness:
• Today, we're all immersed in selfishness, seeking to benefit ourselves with no regard for others. How then, can we be in bestowal?
• A) A Harmer and A Person Who's Been Harmed: Let's say I harm you (God forbid). There's me, the harmer, and there's you, the person who's been harmed. How can we both be in bestowal?
• The Harmer In Bestowal: As the harmer, I'm in bestowal because I make life so miserable for you that I push you to question the meaning of your life and to cry out to The Creator for help. This brings you to bestowal, which is the purpose of creation. I act as a birth pain, a contraction, in order for you to give birth to your own internal quality of true bestowal.
• Also, I'm in bestowal because I TAKE pleasure from you, automatically putting you in a position of being the bestower of pleasure. I make you a bestower of pleasure.
• (This doesn't mean that we should intentionally harm others/Nature, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves.)
• The Person Who's Been Harmed In Bestowal: As the person who's been harmed, you're in bestowal because you've given me pleasure. I get pleasure from harming you, which is the nature of the quality of selfishness, inappropriate, but it's pleasure all the same. You don't give me pleasure voluntarily, I take it from you, but nevertheless, that puts you in a position of being the bestower of pleasure.
• (This doesn't mean that we should intentionally allow ourselves/others/Nature to be harmed, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves.)
• There's no such thing as a 'victim', only a person who gives pleasure.
• It's important to note in this scenario that pleasure is TAKEN.
• B) We're Teachers Of The Quality of Selfishness: While we're immersed in selfishness (acting selfishly towards each other and influencing each other in a negative and destructive way through our social environments), we benevolently teach each other about selfishness. Learning about selfishness is necessary because we learn from opposites (i.e. hot/cold, hate/love etc.) First we have to learn about the quality of selfishness in order to fully appreciate its opposite, the quality of bestowal.
• (This doesn't mean that we should intentionally be selfish, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves.)
• C) We Tell Each Others' Stories: This is connected to perception of reality. What we see on the outside is a reflection of who we are on the inside. The 'good' and 'bad' both tell a benevolent story of our internal qualities.
• D) Arc-Story In Creation: There's an arc-story in all creation (that includes the 'good' and the 'bad') that tells the benevolent story of our relationship with The Creator.
2. Being In Bestowal While Immersed In Bestowal:
• We have to change from selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to bestowal (seeking to benefit others/Nature). Once we're in bestowal, we'll act benevolently:
• A) A Bestower And A Receiver: Let's say I do good to you. There's me, the bestower, and there's you, the receiver of my bestowal.
• The Bestower in Bestowal: As the bestower, I'm in bestowal because I seek only to do good to you, to benefit you in a positive and constructive way, and I do so to bring contentment to The Creator. The pleasure I feel comes from the happiness I give you and The Creator. Your happiness and The Creator's happiness makes me happy (gives me pleasure).
• I stop harming you, others and all of Nature.
• The Receiver In Bestowal: As the receiver of my bestowal, you're in bestowal because you receive my bestowal not for your own sake (not to benefit yourself), but to make me happy, and by so doing, to make The Creator happy. The pleasure you feel comes from the happiness you give me and The Creator. My happiness and The Creator's happiness makes you happy (gives you pleasure).
• It's important to note in this scenario that pleasure is GIVEN.
• B) We'll Teach Each Other About The Quality Of Bestowal: Once we're in bestowal (seeking to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves), we'll begin to benevolently teach each other about the quality of bestowal. We'll set examples for each other, we'll inspire each other, and we'll influence each other in a positive and constructive way (through our social environments) to be benevolent.
• C) We'll Tell Each Others' Stories: This is connected to perception of reality. What we see on the outside will be a reflection of our internal benevolent qualities.
• D) Arc-Story In Creation: We'll continue to tell the benevolent arc-story that exists in all creation, the story about our relationship with The Creator.

There's a difference between bestowal that exists in selfishness, and bestowal that exists in bestowal. We have to change from selfishness to bestowal. We have to move away from bestowal that exists in selfishness, and begin to live in the bestowal that exists in bestowal.

Nothing bad has ever happened to us, others, or all or Nature. We're surrounded by love, we just have to realize it. This doesn't mean that we can do whatever we want, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves.

Copyright © 2016. Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Birth And Labour Pains

Updated July 27, 2014

WORK IN PROGRESS:
This post is a work in progress and is subject to changes, revisions, edits and deletions. I've presented it here to give you an idea of a general concept; however, I'm not sure I've done a very good job explaining it. Please bear with me as I continue to work through this.

When it comes to birth and labour pains, there are three scenarios:

1. NO PAIN, NO BIRTH:
• " ...you who never bore a child ... you who were never in labor ..." (Isaiah 54:1. NIV)
• In this world, I've never given birth, never been in labour.
• Also, until 2005, I had never given birth to a new state of bestowal.
2. FIRST A PERSON HAS PAIN, THEN GIVES BIRTH:
• "As a pregnant woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain ..." (Isaiah 26:17, NIV)
• The diagram below explains this scenario.
3. FIRST A PERSON GIVES BIRTH, THEN HAS PAIN:
• "Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this?" (Isaiah 66:7-8, NIV)
• The diagram below explains this scenario.

Click on this image to make it larger:

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

The Positive Meaning Of The Holocaust

The holocaust is a stain on history because of the atrocities committed against the Jews. Yet, the holocaust has a positive meaning.

Today, as we begin our return to God, the Nation of Israel and the Jewish people have a role to play. First, The Nation of Israel and the Jewish people have to wake up, meaning they have to return to God. Then, they have a role to play in bringing the entire world back to God.

In the future, when the entire world has returned to God, Israel's distinct role will no longer stand out because there won't be any difference between The Nations of the World and The Nation of Israel and the Jewish people. The entire world will be as one.

This dissolution of Israel's distinct role in the future is represented by the holocaust, it's the end of the distinct role of the Jews, merging into an integrated, unified humanity - which is an extremely positive thing.

Not to say that the Jewish people will cease to exist, not at all, but rather to say that The Nations of the World will come to know God just as the Nation of Israel and The Jewish people know God. All will be as one, united in the knowledge of The Lord.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

My Legs Were Cut Off

On August 12, 2009, when I was living in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, both my legs were cut off at the hips, using an electric saw. I was in such a state that it didn't actually hurt, it brought me temporary relief. The next day, my legs were back, but my health deteriorated.

This may seem kind of strange because I still have both my legs, perhaps my phantom legs were cut off, I don't know. But the realm of our internal qualities is unseen and there are events that take place that are also unseen.

It is written, "[Pharaoh] said, "You believed Moses before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your leader who has taught you magic, but you are going to know. I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will surely crucify you all." (Quran 26:49, Sahih, http://quran.com/26) Do not be afraid, God is with us and there is none else besides Him.

This event has a positive meaning: A standing human spells YHVH (YAHWEH or Jehovah) where the Yud is the head, the first Hei is the arms, Vav is the torso and the last Hei is the legs. The legs are Malchut, which is us today.

Having my legs cut off and replaced means the old Malchut (the quality of selfishness) will be cut off and replaced with a new Malchut (the quality of bestowal).

Oscar Pistorius - The Man With New Legs

At the 2012 Summer Olympic in London, South Africa's Oscar Pistorius became the first double leg amputee to compete in the Olympic games.

In the 400 metres race, he took second place in the first heat of five runners. First place is our first quality of selfishness and second place is our second quality of bestowal. In this case, coming in second was better than coming in first.

When Oscar was 11 months old, both his legs were amputated and he now wears new prosthetic legs. In 2013, he shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

This story may seem tragic, but in the spiritual realm it means something positive:

1. When his legs were cut off, it means the quality of selfishness will be cut off. When he uses new prosthetic legs, it means the new quality of bestowal will be used.
2. The killing of his girlfriend Reeva, means the quality of selfishness will be killed, and the quality of bestowal will come to life.
• I'm not saying that people should go out and kill their girlfriends or women, not at all, we should only seek to benefit others. I'm saying that God uses negative events to mean something positive. In front of God we are all feminine and we are all equal.

Reference:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Pistorius

The Battle For The Quality Of Bestowal

The people of Israel are soldiers engaged in a fierce spiritual battle/war, to fight off the quality of selfishness and be in the quality of bestowal, so they can return to God in quality.

The war is about changing our internal qualities from selfishness to bestowal, seeking to benefit others instead of ourselves. In this way, we'll become connected with each other in mutual concern and responsibility and we'll become connected to God in quality.

When Israel succeeds in their battles, they bring back the spoils of war, which they give to the nations of the world. The spoils of war are treasures of The Kingdom of Heaven.

The treasures of The Kingdom of Heaven come in various forms: revelations, new information such as an explanation about selfishness and bestowal, spiritual awakenings, details about how to connect with one another, information about how to organize our society in mutual responsibility, spiritual pleasure etc.

No matter what we go through and no matter what happens to Israel or to the nations of the world, remember:

1. Do not be afraid, God is with us
2. Negative things mean something positive
3. Everything has purpose
4. We are all in this together
5. We are all one family, we just have different roles to play
6. All states that we're in change over time

May The One True God, The Infinite God, The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob guide us, may He lead us and may He show us the way. God is with us and to Him we shall all return.

Copyright © 2013, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

A New Source Of Energy/Power Will Be Revealed

A new source of energy/power is going to be revealed.

Just as we developed from steam to oil and electricity, so we're going to develop from oil and electricity to a new source of energy/power.

The value of oil and our dependence on oil will end. Economies that are solely dependent on oil or other sources of power for income should diversify and seek alternate sources of value.

Copyright © 2013, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Perception Of Reality - Becoming An Orphan

When I first went through a change in the perception of my reality, one of the hardest things to adjust to was becoming an orphan.

This may seem really strange because my family is still alive, but I perceived that my mother was no longer my mother, my brother was no longer my brother and my family was no longer my family.

As it is written, "I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother." (Psalms 35:14, NKJV) It is also written, "I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother's children." (Psalms 69:8, NKJV)

I had a new perception of reality and my old family was gone. It was devastating. It was a really hard time and a really hard thing to go through. I was alone, orphaned.

I went through a grieving process, grieving the loss of the family I'd known. It was a difficult and painful time, but it was necessary - part of the process of adjusting to my new perception of reality. Let me just say that it's a really strange thing to grieve for someone who's still alive.

I had to learn how to let go of everything, my old life, my old family and my old perception of reality. I had a new life now, a new family and a new perception of reality. I had to face this truth.

When my perception of reality changed, my internal qualities began to change - from selfishness to bestowal.

In the quality of bestowal, you seek to benefit others instead of yourself. This was really hard to do with family because I was grieving their loss, breaking old ties with them, adjusting to my new perception of reality, while trying to seek to benefit them instead of myself. Challenging.

Now it's easier. I've had more time to adjust to my new perception of reality and I've grown in bestowal. Plus, my relationship with God has grown and I'm excited to enter into greater adhesion with The Creator.

Here's a little more explanation about becoming an orphan. We become an orphan in two ways: based on our perception of reality and based on our changing internal qualities.

1. Perception Of Reality:
• When we go through a change in the perception of our reality, we perceive a new world.
• We perceive that our family is not our family, they're not the people we thought they were.
• We become orphans because our old family is gone.
2. Our Changing Internal Qualities:
• When our internal qualities change from selfishness to bestowal, and we seek to benefit others instead of ourselves, we change families, we change kingdoms.
• A. The Family Of The Quality Of Selfishness, The Kingdom Of This World:
• When we're immersed in the quality of selfishness, we belong to the family of selfishness, we belong to the kingdom of this world.
• When our internal qualities change from selfishness to bestowal, we rise above our egos, we leave our selfish lives behind and we leave the family of selfishness. Jesus said, "If people come to me and are not ready to abandon their fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as their own lives, they cannot be my disciples." (Luke 14:26, NOGB)
• In this way, we become orphans because we lose the family of selfishness
• B. The Family Of The Quality Of Bestowal, The Kingdom of God / Heaven:
• When we enter into the quality of bestowal, we're adopted into the family of bestowal, into the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven.
• As it is written, "And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life]. And your Lord is going to give you and you will be satisfied. Did He not find you an orphan and give [you] refuge?" (Quran 93:6, Sahih)
• The family of bestowal adopts us, it looks after us, it provides for our needs and it raises us from childhood to adulthood in the quality of bestowal. 

Copyright © 2013, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

It's Relative

Is it okay to behave like a 5 year old?

1. If you're 2 years old, you're encouraged to grow, so if you behaved like a 5 year old you'd be applauded for your behaviour. So YES, it's good to behave like a 5 year old.
2. If you're 10 years old, you're encouraged to grow, so if you behaved like a 5 year old, you'd be reprimanded for your behaviour. So NO, it's not good to behave like a 5 year old.

So, to answer the question, is it okay to behave like a 5 year old? The answer is - it depends on your age. It's relative.

Understanding this concept will help us understand The Bible and The Quran. The Bible and The Quran speak only about our internal qualities, how we'll grow from selfishness to bestowal, and how once we're in the quality of bestowal, we'll grow from childhood to adulthood.

Copyright © 2013, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Give Up Your Selfish Life

Our internal qualities are going to change from selfishness to bestowal, we're going to seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

This means that we're going to give up our selfish lives, we're going to rise above our egos and connect with each other in mutual concern and responsibility. I'll stop being selfish and I'll seek to benefit you, and you'll stop being selfish and you'll seek to benefit me. Of this it is written, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's [selfish] life for one's friends." (John 15:13, NIV)

We'll lay down our selfish lives and connect with each other in mutual responsibility. We'll seek to benefit each other instead of ourselves. So we'll lose our selfish lives and find new lives, our interconnection with each other in mutual responsibility. Of this it is written, "Whoever finds their [selfish] life will lose it, and whoever loses their [selfish] life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:39, NIV)

If we find our selfish lives, we think only of ourselves, so we lose our connection with others. If we lose our selfish lives, we think only of others, so we find our connection with others.

Cry out to The One True God, The Infinite God, The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Ask Him to help you change from selfishness to bestowal. He will hear you and help you.

Copyright © 2013, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Should We Be Children Or Not?

Jesus said, "...unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:2, NIV)

It is also written, "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. (1 Corinthians 13:11, NIV)

This seems to be a contradiction. Should we be children or not?

The following explanation shows how the contradiction disappears.

Let's look at the first verse. When Jesus says that we have to change, He means that our internal qualities have to change from selfishness to bestowal. Once we enter into the quality of bestowal (the kingdom of heaven), we'll start off as little children, then over time our quality of bestowal will grow and we'll become adults in bestowal.

Let's look at the second verse:

1. Relative to each other, the quality of selfishness is considered a child and the quality of bestowal is considered an adult. So putting the ways of childhood behind you means putting the ways of selfishness behind you so you can be an adult in the quality of bestowal.
2. It also means that once you enter into the quality of bestowal, you're expected to grow. In bestowal, you start off as a little child, but you're expected to leave the ways of childhood behind you and become an adult in the quality of bestowal.

There is no contradiction, both statements complement one another.

Copyright © 2013, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Should You Answer A Fool Or Not?

It is written in Proverbs 26:4-5 (NIV):
"Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.
Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes."

This seems to be a contradiction. Should you answer a fool or not?

The following explanation shows how the contradiction disappears.

A lot of the language in The Bible and The Quran is layered in meaning. In this particular case, one of the meanings of the verses is:

The fool is the quality of selfishness and his folly is the error of thinking that selfishness is better than bestowal.

In the first part it's saying: do not answer the quality of selfishness according to his folly - the error that selfishness is better than bestowal - or you'll be just like him, immersed in the quality of selfishness. This first part is basically saying do not be in the quality of selfishness.

In the second part it's saying:  answer the quality of selfishness according to his folly - by pointing out his error that selfishness is not better than bestowal but that bestowal is better than selfishness - or else the quality of selfishness will think it's wise, when in fact it's the quality of bestowal that's wise. This second part is basically saying be in the quality of bestowal.

There is no contradiction, both statements complement one another.

Copyright © 2013, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Free Sanctuaries Required

The entire world is going to go through a major transformation, our internal qualities are going to change from the quality of selfishness to the quality of bestowal. Instead of seeking to benefit ourselves, we're going to seek to benefit others.

Connected to this, people are going to go through an event - a change in the perception of their reality. Meaning people are going to perceive two qualities: their own individual selfish quality and the quality of bestowal.

This revelation is similar to labour or child birth in that it's a traumatic event and people will be deeply affected.

Meaning people are going to leave their families, their friends, their jobs, their communities, their lives etc. They're going to leave everything behind and depart in a hurry. Of this Jesus said, "Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath." (Matthew 24:20, NIV)

As such, free sanctuaries need to be made available to house, shelter, help, feed, clothe, take care of and support these people once they leave their lives and homes behind.

Churches, temples, synagogues, mosques and other organizations including governments should be prepared for this and they should make the necessary arrangements to provide for and take care of these people for free.

Doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health professionals and other relevant professionals should also be aware that this event is going to take place and they should be prepared to help.

The people who go through a change in the perception of their reality may be in shock, they may be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and they may not be able to talk or communicate clearly.

They may also exhibit other symptoms, including but not limited to: confusion, quiet disposition, isolating behaviour, insomnia, sleeping too much, lack of appetite, lack of interest in daily activities, be easily overwhelmed, crying, be abrupt, abrasive, defensive, non-communicative, unable to talk, evasive, secretive, they may pace, be anxious, nervous, stressed, keep to themselves etc.

Don't push or force them to talk, share, open-up or engage in activities they don't want to do. Simply provide them with a safe environment where they can reflect and adjust to the revelation they've been through. They need time to recover.

Perception Clinics or something similar could also be established to give people a place to go - a place where they can get support, advice, referrals, assistance etc. All safety precautions need to be taken to prevent people from ending up on the streets.

Going through a change in the perception of one's reality is a traumatic event; however, people don't have to endure it alone, arrangements should be made to help and support them.

May The One True God, The Infinite God, The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob guide us, may He lead us and may He show us the way. God is with us and to Him we shall all return.

Copyright © 2013, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Fake It Until You Make It

When I first went through a change in the perception of my reality, I went through a really hard traumatic time. The revelation was extremely difficult.

What was revealed to me was two qualities: my quality of selfishness and the quality of bestowal. The contrast between my selfish qualities and the quality of bestowal was SHOCKING. I was shocked at how selfish I was compared to the quality of bestowal. I was appalled and horrified.

As I struggled with the revelation, someone gave me some really good advice. "Fake it, until you make it." Which gives you an idea of how traumatic the revelation was for me, and how difficult it may be for others.

The advice doesn't mean to fake your way through life engaging in negative destructive behaviour, taking advantage of others to make it big - gaining riches and wealth.

It means to pretend that you're alright when you're not, to pretend that you want to get out of bed in the morning when you don't, to pretend that you're happy when you're not, to pretend that you're interested in things when you're not etc. It means to fake your life until time passes and time helps to heal all wounds.

If you're going through a hard time before you go through a change in the perception of your reality, cry out to God for help. Ask The One True God, The Infinite God, The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to help you and He will.

If you're going through a hard time after you go through a change in the perception of your reality, fake it until you make it.

This worked for me but if you're struggling you should seek professional help from your doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist and other professionals as well as from your family, friends, faith leaders and other groups that you're connected to.

I know it's not easy, believe me, I know. God has a way of putting us in touch with people who help us. God uses us to help each other. I received and still continue to receive a tremendous amount of support from others. Remember, we're all in this together and we'll succeed but only together.

May The One True God, The Infinite God, The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob guide us, may He lead us and may He show us the way. God is with us and to Him we shall all return.

Copyright © 2013, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

The First And The Last

What is the meaning of "the first and the last", "the firstborn from the dead" and Jesus being compared to Adam?

The First And The Last

The Bible and The Quran both mention "the first and the last, as it is written, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." (Revelations 22:12, NIV), and "He is the First and the Last ..." (Quran 57:3, Sahih)

Also, it is written, "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." (Matthew 20:16, NIV) and "But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first." (Matthew 19:30, NIV)

This is layered in meaning. Let's take a look:

1. In The Bible, it means that Jesus is the First person to enter into the quality of bestowal and He is the Last person to complete/finish the quality of selfishness.
2. It also means that Jesus is of the Last generation of selfishness and He is also of the First generation of bestowal. When our internal qualities change from selfishness to bestowal, we'll become the last generation of selfishness and the first generation of bestowal.
3. In The Bible and The Quran, the concept of first and last also relates to others things as well. For one, it relates to the inverse relationship between lights and vessels. The lights of Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Chaya and Yechida enter into the vessels of Keter, Chochma, Bina, Zeir Anpin and Malchut in an inverse way.

• When all the vessels have been filled with all the lights the first vessel of Keter will house the last light of Yechida and the last vessel of Malchut will house the first light of Nefesh. This signifies completion and wholeness.
• It also means that all the vessels - from the first vessel of Keter to the last vessel of Malchut - will be fulfilled and all the lights - from the first light of Nefesh to the last light of Yechida - will be fulfilled.
4. The concept of first and last also relates to how we'll become interconnected with each other through our internal qualities - our GE (the first) and AHP (the last). For example, here's how my AHP interconnects with your GE. My AHP (last) and your GE (first) interconnect to create a connection between us. My last is your first and your first is my last.
   
5. Another meaning is connected to the work in the middle line, receiving to bestow, where the first quality of selfishness is used together with the last quality of bestowal to create work in the middle line called receiving to bestow.
6. Also, in the telling of the story of our internal qualities, patterns repeat like fractals where one event parallels another in meaning. The events aren't identical, but they're similar. In this way, events that happened at the beginning (say the big bang) are similar to events that happen at the end (say our qualities changing from selfishness to bestowal). In this way, the first event is considered similar to the last event.
7. Another meaning is the realization of infinity, where the past, present and future become one. So the first and the last are joined together as one.

The Bible and The Quran talk only about our internal qualities, but the language is layered in meaning. One phrase doesn't just mean one thing, it means many things all at the same time.

Firstborn From The Dead

It is written, "... Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead ..." (Revelations 1:5, NIV).

The quality of selfishness is considered dead and the quality of bestowal is considered alive. This means that Jesus is the first person to go through a change in His internal qualities from the quality of selfishness to the quality of bestowal. He is born alive into the quality of bestowal from the dead quality of selfishness. This is why He's called "the firstborn from the dead."

While Jesus is the First person to enter into the quality of bestowal, He's not the last person to enter into the quality of bestowal. Others will also enter into the quality of bestowal, which is why Jesus is called the firstborn.

Jesus and Adam

The Bible and the Quran both compare Jesus to Adam, as it is written "...'The first man Adam became a living being', the last Adam, a life giving spirit." (1 Corinthians 15:45, NIV), and "... the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam." (Quran 3:59, Sahih)

Adam refers to a specific state within our internal qualities, a state when we're first exposed to the qualities of God. Jesus refers to another specific state within our internal qualities, a state when we're first exposed to another level of connection with God.

While the states of Adam and Jesus are different, they're similar in that they're both firsts. Adam is the first of one type of contact with God and Jesus is the first of another type of contact with God. This is why Jesus is compared to Adam.

Copyright © 2013, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Loquats - The Forbidden Fruit

Traditionally, the forbidden fruit is an apple.
Yet The Bible and The Quran never mention an apple.

The apple is not the forbidden fruit.
The forbidden fruit is loquats.

Copyright © 2013, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Let's Make Sure The Poor Never Live in Poverty

Jesus said, " The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want ..." (Mark 14:7, NIV)

He said, "The poor you will always have with you ..." He didn't say, '... the poor will always live in poverty ...' He also said, "... you can help them ..."

Meaning there will always be poor people with us, but it doesn't mean they have to live in poverty. It means it's our responsibility to look after them (and each other) so everyone has a dignified standard of living.
 
There Will Always Be Poor People
 
There will always be poor people in society, people who for one reason or another aren't able to provide for themselves, or have a dignified standard of living.

Some may be perpetually poor (several generations of poverty), some may be in and out of poverty and some may be new to poverty due to some unforeseen event such as bankruptcy, job loss, illness, etc.
 
There are many reasons people may be poor: physical limitations, mental limitations, lack of ability, lack of drive, lack of ambition, lack of desire to acquire a higher standard of living, influence of the environment, addiction, unforeseen events and circumstances and many other reasons.
 
We're Not All The Same

Some people claim that hard work leads to success and that poor people are poor because they haven't done enough to change their own circumstances

The expectation is that everyone should work equally hard.

The assumption is that everyone can work equally hard.

The assumption that everyone can work equally hard is very cruel. It assumes that we're all the same, that we all have the same desires, expectations, ambitions and abilities.

But we're all very different. Our physical characteristics are different, our likes and dislikes are different and we all have different abilities to produce and create, even when it comes to creating the quality of our own lives.

When you begin to appreciate that we're all different, criticism turns to compassion. You become sympathetic of others, especially the poor.

The World Is One Family

The world is one family and it is our responsibility to look after each other. We have to take care of one another in mutual concern and consideration.

We have to seek to benefit others instead of ourselves. In this way we become guarantors for one other. I look after you and you look after me.

Through mutually responsible we'll take care of all members of society, including the poor. We'll create a dignified standard of living for everybody.

As Jesus said, "The poor you will always have with you ...", let's just make sure the poor never live in poverty.
 
Copyright © 2013, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Gender and Sexuality In The Bible and The Quran

Gender and sexuality is an important part of humanity. There are two genders (male and female) and there are different sexual orientations - heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual/transgendered, asexual and others.
 
There's a lot of confusion about gender and sexuality, especially when it comes to religion, The Bible and The Quran. The confusion stems from the fact that people think The Bible and The Quran are talking about our physical world when in fact the books are talking about our internal qualities.

Before we can understand the true meaning of gender and sexuality, we first have to understand the concept of internality and externality.
 
INTERNALITY AND EXTERNALITY
 
There are two realms to consider:
1. The realm of our inner qualities, our internality, and
2. The realm of our physical world, our externality

Internality and externality are connected in two ways:
1. Our internal qualities create our external physical world, and
2. Our internal qualities are represented by our external physical world

1. Internality Creates Externality

There is a cause and effect relationship between our inner qualities and our external physical world: who we are on the inside determines what we create on the outside.
 
If our inner qualities are selfish, we create a selfish world. If our inner qualities are altruistic, we create an altruistic world.
 
Today, everyone's immersed in selfishness, seeking to benefit themselves. Because we're selfish, we've created a selfish world, which now lies broken.
 
To fix the world, we have to change our inner qualities from selfishness to love of others, seeking to benefit others instead of ourselves.
 
If our internal qualities change, the world will change because we'll rebuild the world based on our new inner qualities -  mutual responsibility and concern for others.

2. Internality is Represented by Externality

Our internal qualities are made up of desires, thoughts, intentions, emotions and other forces. Our physical world is made up of land, oceans, rocks, plants, animals, people, air etc.

While they're different, they're interconnected. There is a parallel story that exists between them, in that the physical world represents the journey of our internal qualities.

For example, the physical ocean represents a force within you called 'ocean'. What you see outside of you represents something inside of you.

With respect to gender, if you see a man, he represents a force within you called 'man'. If you see a woman, she represents a force within you called 'woman'.

With respect to sexuality, if you see a lesbian, she represent a force within you called 'lesbian'. Everything that you see outside of you represents a force within you.

This means that we're all interconnected. I'm a part of your physical world so I represent a force within you. You're a part of my physical world so you represent a force within me.

I tell the story of your internality and you tell the story of my internality.

In fact my entire world represents my internal qualities and your entire world represents your internal qualities.

If my world tells my internal story and I'm different from you, and your world tells your internal story and you're different from me, we must be living in two different worlds. In fact, there must be many different worlds because we're all different.

Since I'm in your world and you're in my world, our worlds must overlap to some degree, but beyond that, they're different worlds.

In this way, everything you see outside of you is LITERALLY you, because it tells the story of your internal qualities. You and your physical world are ONE.

If you're racist, sexist, homophobic or hate anyone or anything outside of you, you actually hate yourself because everything outside of you represents your inner qualities.
 
GENDER

Gender can be very confusing for two reasons:
1. Gender is relative, meaning it's determined relative to something else, and
2. Gender can change.

I'll explain.

There are two forces in Nature, a male force and a female force. The male force is God and the female force is all of creation.

The male force wants to give and the female force wants to receive. As such the action of giving is generally considered male and the action of receiving is generally considered female.

But there are exceptions: if you're giving to receive this is considered female and if you're receiving to give, this is considered male. So giving is not always considered male and receiving is not always considered female. Confusing, I agree.

Relative to God, all of creation is considered female and God is considered male. In front of God, men and women are considered equal because we are all creation.

In physical creation we see men and women and barring any exceptions, genders don't change.

Physical men and women have internal qualities and these qualities have male and female genders. Since our internal qualities change, our internal genders change.

If I see a physical man, he represents a force within me call 'man'. If I see a physical woman, she represents a force within me called 'woman'.

A physical man has an internal male force and an internal female force. A physical woman has an internal male force and an internal female force.

With respect to our internal qualities, the quality of selfishness is generally considered female and the quality of altruism/giving/love of others is generally considered male.

Here's an example of how physical gender is connected to the gender of our internal qualities:
1. A physical woman with an internal quality of selfishness is considered female.
2. A physical woman with an internal quality of love of others is considered male.
3. A physical man with an internal quality of selfishness, is considered female.
4. A physical man with an internal quality of love of others, is considered male.
 
But of course gender is relative. Within the quality of selfishness and altruism are different states, each with its relative gender:
   1. Selfishness (female)
       a. Receiving to Receive (female) - You receive thinking only of yourself
       b. Bestowing to Receive (male) - You give to get praise, glory, honor, status
   2. Altruism (male)
       c. Bestowing to Bestow (female) - You give with no consideration for yourself
       d. Receiving to Bestow (male) - You receive thinking of others

The Tree of Life explains our internal qualities and shows how gender is relative:

1. Keter - is considered male

2. Chocmma (Aba, Father) - is considered male
    This state is called receiving to bestow, and is considered adulthood.
    This state is the father, so it's considered male.
    However, this state uses female vessels, so it's considered female.
    Also, this state receives, which is considered female.
    But because it's receiving to bestow, it's considered male.
    In summary, this state is sometimes called male and sometimes called female.
    Confusing, I agree.

3. Bina (Ima, Mother) - is considered female
    This state is called bestowing to bestow, and is considered childhood.
    This state is the mother, so it's considered female.
    However, this state uses male vessels, so it's considered male.
    Also, this state gives/bestows, which is considered male.
    But because it's bestowing to bestow, it's considered female.
    In summary, this state is sometimes called male and sometimes called female.
    Confusing, I agree.

4. Zeir Anpin (son) - is considered male, but also has female forces
5. Malchut (daughter) - is considered female, but also has male forces

It's important to note that there's a difference between receiving and selfishness. Receiving isn't the problem, selfishness is. You can actually receive in order to give as in the state of receiving to bestow. Selfishness is when you think only about yourself.
 
The purpose of creation is to bring us from selfishness to altruism/love of others so we can know God's qualities. Our internal qualities are very important because they determine our proximity to God. If our internal qualities are in selfishness we're considered far from God and if our internal qualities are in love of others we're considered close to God.
 
The Bible and The Quran speak only about our internal qualities and how we can change from selfishness to love of others to get closer to God.

Whenever a man or woman is mentioned in The Bible or The Quran, it's not talking about our physical world, it's talking about our internal qualities.

The purpose of this detailed explanation on gender is not to intentionally confuse, but to show that gender is a relative thing and when reading The Bible or Quran, any references to males or females has to be taken in context to understand specifically what is being explained.

Gender in The Bible

Here's a verse from The Bible: "23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." (Ephesians 5:23-24, NIV)

The husband (male) is the quality of love of others (male) and the wife (female) is the quality of selfishness (female). To say that the husband is the head of the wife is to say that the quality of love of others is greater than the quality of selfishness and we should submit to the quality of love of others instead of the quality of selfishness.

Gender in The Quran

Here's a verse from The Quran: "Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand." (Quran 4:34, Sahih)
 
Men (male) is the quality of love of others (male) and women (female) is the quality of selfishness (female). To say that men are in charge of women is to say that the quality of love of others is greater than the quality of selfishness and we should be in the quality of love of others, not the quality of selfishness.

Righteous (male) women (female) are those desires that have changed from selfishness (female) to love of others (male). Whereas arrogant (female) women (female) are those desires that are still in selfishness (female).

The Quran gives advice on how to convert selfish desires (arrogant women) to the quality of love of others - advise them, forsake them in bed, and strike them. These are internal discernments where you work to rise above your selfish nature: advise them (acknowledge that the desires are selfish), forsake them in bed (do not be with them in the quality of selfishness) and strike them (force them to convert from selfishness to the quality of love of others).

This verse is very controversial because people think The Quran is saying you should strike/hit a woman. But The Quran is not talking about our physical world, it's talking about our internal qualities. The arrogant woman is our selfish nature and The Quran is saying that we should convert our selfish nature to love of others. The Quran is not saying that you should hit a woman.

SEXUALITY

Remember, our internal qualities create our physical world and our physical world represents our internal qualities through parallel stories.
 
Sexuality is one type of parallel story. The different types of sexual orientations that you see outside of you represents specific forces within you.
 
Our inner qualities are continually changing as we move from selfishness to love of others. This means you can change from a lesbian, to a bisexual, to a gay, to a transgendered all within a few minutes as you move from one internal force to another.
 
Here's an explanation of some sexual orientations:
 
Heterosexual
 
As our internal qualities change from selfishness to love of others, there's an internal state where a female force connects to a male force. This is represented in the physical world as a heterosexual.

Lesbian

As our internal qualities change from selfishness to love of others, there's an internal state where a female force connects to a female force. This is represented in the physical world as a lesbian.

Gay

As our internal qualities change from selfishness to love of others, there's an internal state where a male force connects to a male force. This is represented in the physical world as a gay.

Bisexual

As our internal qualities change from selfishness to love of others, there's an internal state where a female force connects to a male and female force. This is represented in the physical world as a bisexual.

Transsexual/Transgendered

As our internal qualities change from selfishness to love of others, there's an internal state where a female force transforms to a male force. This is represented in the physical world as a transgendered.

There's more to consider:

Asexual

Everyone has an empty space in their heart that only God can fill. In the physical realm people try to fill that empty space with various pleasures (food, family, money, honor, knowledge, power), and sexual pleasure. This only leads to greater disappointment as people remain unfulfilled. People are looking for love, but don't find it.

We hear a lot about having a healthy sex life, which may lead people to feel obligated to have sex. But it's okay to admit you're not interested in sex - perhaps you never were, no longer are, it doesn't fulfill you anymore, you're not attracted to people sexually or there may be other reasons. It's okay to say you're asexual.

If you're no longer interested in sex and all the pleasures of this physical world no longer satisfy you, it means you're ready for a new kind of pleasure - spiritual pleasure.

Rapture - Spiritual Pleasure

Spiritual pleasure is real. It's very intense and is greater than all other pleasures combined.

You acquire spiritual pleasure by changing your inner qualities from selfishness to love of others, by seeking to benefit others instead of yourself.

Changing your inner qualities to love of others connects you to love, love connects you to Godliness, Godliness connects you to God and God connects you to spiritual pleasure and fulfillment.

Since you were always looking for love, you become fulfilled in two ways:
1. You find love and God fills the empty space in your heart, and
2. You sense intense spiritual pleasure that satisfies you in ways nothing else ever could.

The Bible and The Quran speak only about our internal qualities. Whenever sexuality is mentioned, it's not talking about our physical world, it's talking about our inner qualities.

Sexuality in The Bible

Here's a verse from The Bible, "Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable." (Leviticus 18:22, NIV) 

This verse is often quoted with reference to homosexuality, but remember The Bible doesn't speak about our physical world, it speaks only about our internal qualities.

This verse is layered in meaning and it's talking about the altruistic qualities of bestowing to bestow and receiving to bestow.

Having sexual relations with a man is using the male vessels of bestowing to bestow.
Having sexual relations with a woman is using the female vessels of receiving to bestow.

First, it's saying that the internal actions required to be in the state of bestowing to bestow are different from the internal actions required to be in the state of receiving to bestow.

Second, it's saying that remaining in the state of bestowing to bestow is detestable, because this state is considered childhood and we should grow to the state of receiving to bestow, adulthood.

Genesis 18 tells the story of Lot, Sodom and Gomorrah, how people lusted after men instead of women. As a result they were destroyed.

The men are the forces of bestowing to bestow and the women are the forces of receiving to bestow. The desire wants to stay in childhood (lusting after male vessels) and not grow to adulthood (using female vessels). In the end, the state of childhood is destroyed and the state of adulthood is allowed to flourish.

The Bible tells the story of the development of our internal qualities as they change from childhood to adulthood. The Bible wants us be adults and have a closer relationship with God and not remain as children.

Sexuality in The Quran

The story of Lot also appears in The Quran (for example in Quran 7:80-81) and shows how people lusted after men instead of women. As a result they were destroyed.

The men are the forces of bestowing to bestow and the women are the forces of receiving to bestow. The desire wants to stay in childhood (lusting after male vessels) and not grow to adulthood (using female vessels). In the end, the state of childhood is destroyed and the state of adulthood is allowed to flourish.

The Quran tells the story of the development of our internal qualities as they change from childhood to adulthood. The Quran wants us to be adults and have a closer relationship with God and not remain as children.

SUMMARY
 
We have seen how our internal qualities are connected to our physical world, we have seen how gender is a relative thing, we have understood the meaning of sexuality and we have seen the true meaning of gender and sexuality in The Bible and The Quran.

May The One True God, The Infinite God, The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bring us out of the quality of selfishness into the quality of love of others. May He bring us to Godliness, to love, to Him and to spiritual pleasure and fulfillment.

God is with us and to Him we shall all return.

Copyright © 2013, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.